Ternate and Tidore

Two Volcanic Cones That Were For Centuries The Only Source Of Cloves On Earth; Rival Sultanates Whose Spice Made Them Among The Most Fought Over Places In The World · Ternate, North Maluku

Two volcanic cones rise out of the sea a couple of kilometres apart, and FOR CENTURIES THEY WERE THE ONLY PLACE ON EARTH WHERE CLOVES GREW. That is why the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch all built forts here, why the rival SULTANATES OF TERNATE AND TIDORE were among the wealthiest polities in the world, and why these two small islands shaped several centuries of European history. MAGELLAN'S LAST SURVIVING SHIP LOADED CLOVES AT TIDORE IN 1521 - the cargo that paid for the entire circumnavigation. AND IN 1858, LYING FEVERISH IN TERNATE, ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE WROTE OUT HIS THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION AND POSTED IT TO DARWIN, which is what finally forced Darwin into print. The forts still stand, the sultans' palaces are still there, and GUNUNG GAMALAMA above the town is still erupting over the town that grew rich on the trade. Wallace posted the letter from here; Darwin published within the year.

Ternate and Tidore islands, North Maluku, Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia

TERNATE HAS FLIGHTS from Jakarta, Makassar and Manado, which makes North Maluku easier to reach than its remoteness suggests. TIDORE IS A SHORT FERRY ACROSS from Ternate and runs frequently through the day. THE FORTS - ORANJE, KALAMATA, TOLUKKO on Ternate, and others on Tidore - are open in daylight, mostly free or with a small local charge and a caretaker to tip. THE KEDATON, the sultan's palace on Ternate, keeps museum hours and CLOSES FOR CEREMONIES. GUNUNG GAMALAMA IS ACTIVE and climbing is restricted or banned depending on the alert level - check locally rather than assuming. NORTH MALUKU IS STRONGLY MUSLIM: dress modestly, expect Friday closures, and note that Ramadan changes opening hours considerably. Bring cash outside Ternate town.

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